Fragile to the Touch
by klemira
Summary: AU *inspired by Leo and Kate* When Cloud and Tifa reunite as lead costars for a major upcoming film, they become the best of friends. Everyone's waiting for them to finally start dating, but sometimes, people are too afraid of the complications of relationships. Is it really better to just stay friends when what they've always wanted was right in front of them? [CloTi][Zerith]
1. Launch

**A/N:** Curiosity about breaking canon + FFVII remake hype train = my first AU fic!

This fic was inspired by the relationship between Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet. I feel like everybody and their mothers are waiting for them to become a thing. My theory's that they value their friendship so much that they don't want a relationship to ruin that. I think that's really cute in its own right, but let's be honest, we'd all rather see them together. Anyway, I imagine that Cloud and Tifa would be very similar; kinda stubborn about their feelings and too afraid to risk ruining their friendship. The question is, how long is too long? Hehehe...

Also, I know next to nothing about the acting industry, so please don't hold me to anything I write about it! I honestly don't know what came over me to write this, I think I'm just Leo and Kate trash tbh.

 **Disclaimer:** Sob...I am not Square Enix therefore I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters.

3.10.15 - edit

* * *

 **Chapter 1 ~ Launch**

* * *

"Tifa! I have some good news for you!"

"What is it, Jessie?" Tifa asked. She could practically imagine her agent bouncing with excitement over the phone, just from her tone of voice. Sometimes Jessie's role as her friend overshadowed her professionalism.

"Do you mind if I come over in ten? I'm headed in your direction anyway."

"Sure, but is it that important?"

"Trust me, you're gonna be blown away by what I have to tell you!"

Tifa laughed good-naturedly and soon hung up with the anticipation of Jessie arriving shortly. It seemed that when one takes on a career in acting, one can never take a break. She was still exhausted from her interview on _The Cait Sith Show_ only four days ago. Actress she may be, but socialite she is not, and Tifa had hoped for a little more break time before she was expected to start on her next project.

Well, that was what she signed up for, so she supposed that she shouldn't complain about the consequences. The promotions and award shows and occasional paparazzi might be a pain, but at the end of the day, Tifa liked her career.

She sank back into her couch and flipped on the TV. Fame didn't mean that she had to give up her normal life. Tifa lived in a nice condo in Midgar that was just the right size for a young adult like herself, and she still enjoyed lazy days of Netflix and Wutai takeout when she wasn't working. She relished in the fact that she could still feel normal sometimes.

As Tifa channel surfed, she heard enthusiastic knocking coming from the front door. _Well that was fast,_ she thought in amusement as she unlocked the door.

"Tifa! So you know how your performance in _Starry Promises_ blew everyone away?" Tifa blinked as her ecstatic agent brushed past her and entered the apartment, chattering the entire time.

"A hello would've been nice," she teased. She closed the door and followed Jessie to the living room.

"I'm sorry, I'm just bursting to tell you the news!" Jessie collapsed on the couch, her eyes shining with excitement. "So yeah, well apparently the critical acclaim you got for _Starry Promises_ really spoke for something, because you just got an offer from Genesis Rhapsodos!"

Tifa only stared at her. "Genesis Rhapsodos? Like the director of _LOVELESS_ Genesis Rhapsodos?"

"Yes!" For an apparently renowned acting agent, Jessie sure squealed like a schoolgirl. "Apparently he was so impressed with you that he wants to offer you a leading role in his next movie!"

Again, Tifa could only stare at her agent as she tried to process what she said. Genesis Rhapsodos was famous for countless award-winning films, and most of the non-A-listers he casts end up shooting to super stardom almost instantly. Agreeing to the role would do wonders for her career. At the same time…

"Can you tell him that I'm not interested?" Tifa said, bracing herself as she watched Jessie's jaw drop.

"Not interested?! Do you realize what a huge offer this is? He wants _you,_ Tifa!" Jessie said. "In a _lead role!_ You can't refuse this!"

Tifa smiled hollowly. "I know this is big. But I don't think I'm ready to step into the A-list league just yet," she said coolly. "It's such a big jump. I never expected the attention I got from _Starry Promises._ That film was a complete dark horse, really…no one really paid much attention to it until after it came out and turned out to be a hit."

"But Tifa, that's the business," Jessie said pointedly. "You're in this for your acting career, right? Working with Genesis Rhapsodos isn't just about the attention, it's about working with an incredible director and incredible actors. I mean, you'd be cast alongside Cloud Strife and – "

"Cloud Strife?" Tifa felt her heart stop for a moment. "He's cast in this movie?"

"Yes! Think about what it'd be like working with him!"

Cloud Strife. A-list celebrity, holder of two Jenova awards and four Golden Gaia awards. Not to mention countless other awards and nominations. Sector 5's most eligible bachelor and sex icon, according to countless magazines and tabloids. Her childhood friend. Tifa chuckled sardonically to herself at the last one. Maybe friend wasn't exactly the appropriate word. They had been neighbors, though they had never really played together as kids. It was strange to think that the shy boy she had known from her childhood in Nibelheim had ended up as a world-famous actor. She had to do a double take the first time she saw a very fierce-looking Cloud on the movie poster for an action film called _Crisis Core_.

"So, you're going to accept the offer, right?" Jessie's voice broke Tifa out of her thoughts. She looked at her agent, who was watching her expectantly.

Tifa wondered what it would be like to see Cloud again after all these years.

"Could you show me the script?" she asked.

* * *

An entire script, a whirlwind of phone calls, a flurry of auditions, and a few weeks later, Tifa found herself seated across from the one and only Genesis Rhapsodos in a particularly high end café.

"I must say, you never disappoint, Tifa," Genesis said with a pleased smile. "I admit that you didn't come up as a potential choice right away, but now I'm certain that no one else can play the part."

Tifa couldn't help fidgeting slightly. "You're speaking too highly of me, Mr. Rhapsodos," she said.

"Please Tifa, like I said before, it's just Genesis," he said airily. "If we're going to be working together, there's no need for formalities."

She laughed shakily. "I guess I just can't get over the fact that I'm actually cast for this movie," she murmured.

"Trust me, you will be fantastic," Genesis said as he sipped his espresso. "Now that we've ironed out all the technicalities, all that's left is to sign. Everything else will be in the hands of your agent."

Tifa stared down at the papers before her, still not quite believing it. "Aren't these negotiations usually done with the casting director?" she asked.

Genesis laughed. "Normally, yes, but I take pride in taking on a much more personal role in my films. Lazard does all of the actual casting work, but I'm the one to seal the deal with my actors."

She nodded, feeling only slightly intimidated by the unfamiliarity of working with such a prestigious director. Then again, Tifa supposed that she'd better get used to it now. She was stepping into a much larger league.

"You're going to make a fine heroine, Tifa." Genesis smiled at her. "Like I said, I can't see anyone else playing her."

"I'm honored to be cast in such a film," she said honestly. It really was going to be a gem of a movie, as far as Tifa saw from the script.

"Almost twenty years in the making," Genesis said, shaking his head.

"Twenty years? Then it's almost as old as I am!"

He laughed. "Then I'm glad it never came through until now. But yes, things are finally falling into place. I only have you and Cloud cast right now, but I have others lined up for the other roles. I really am looking forward to this project."

Tifa nodded, hoping that Genesis didn't notice her perking up at the mention of Cloud. "I'm looking forward to it too," she said honestly.

As intimidating as the prospect was at first, Tifa couldn't deny her excitement over the opportunity to work with Genesis. And, of course, a chance to finally see Cloud…

Tifa wasn't sure which she was more excited or terrified about.


	2. Wearing Masks

**A/N:** Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! I really have no clue what I'm doing with this whole AU thing so I'm glad to see you guys like it ^^ I'm having a lot of fun making references to the original game, especially with the creation of actual puppy Zack! I always imagined that if Zack really were a puppy, he'd be a black Shiba Inu =D

Also, for future reference, Sector 5 of Midgar in this story is their equivalent to Hollywood. I figured I'd try to make as many parallels as I can to the OG, hence I'm also trying to make Cloud undergo that same false-persona thing he had going on. Poor Cloud, he still can't escape it in this AU...but we still love him anyway, no?

3.10.16 - edit

* * *

 **Chapter 2 ~ Wearing Masks**

* * *

 _The things I do for my friends,_ Cloud thought as he watched the black puppy release a minuscule sneeze.

He tried to remember how he got roped into pet-sitting Zack for the afternoon. Ifrit, he still couldn't get over the fact that the dog's name is Zack. Because Zack bought it for his girlfriend, and of course she named it after the gift giver. Cloud had no idea why Aerith thought that naming the dog after Zack would be cute in any respect. If anything, it was extremely bizarre when someone called either one of them, because then both dog and man-child would perk up in response.

That's right, Aerith said something about man-child Zack reminding her of a puppy. Whatever logic floats her boat.

So somehow, Cloud found himself taking care of the actual puppy Zack. He had to admit though that the dog was pretty darn cute. It was still only a couple of months old, since man-child Zack bought it for Aerith's birthday about a week ago. It's still small enough that Cloud could fit the puppy snugly in his cupped hands. Either it's tiny, or he has really big hands.

Getting puppy Zack onto a leash was a feat all on its own, but now Cloud was trying to coax it to walk in a straight line down the sidewalk rather than bouncing around and sniffing every sign post and fire hydrant.

Cloud pulled his headphones down onto his shoulders when he saw that he was getting a call. It was man-child Zack. _That's funny_ , _he should be filming at the moment,_ Cloud thought.

"What's up!" He winced as he held the phone away from his ear. Zack was being extremely loud, meaning that he had something up his sleeve.

"Shouldn't you be working right now?" Cloud asked as lowered the volume.

"Relax, I'm on lunch break! You know I'm not a slacker."

Cloud snorted. "Okay, so what's got you so worked up?"

"You're not even _ready_ for this!" Cloud held the phone a fair distance away to protect his eardrums. "So you know how you're cast for the new Genesis Rhapsodos movie, right?"

"Yeah."

"And how he hasn't cast anyone else yet, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you know how my friend Angeal is buddies with him?"

"Zack, does this have a point?"

"I'm getting to it, dude!" Cloud rolled his eyes. "Anyway, so a while ago I got Angeal to pull some strings and I got a meeting with Genesis – he's kinda melodramatic, I gotta say – and I convinced him to offer a role to someone I thought would suit it!"

Cloud groaned. He immediately understood that by role, Zack meant lead costar, as in the role that Cloud would be playing opposite of. "Zack, you can't just mess with casting like that. What are you trying to do here?"

"Hey, nothing wrong with giving my expert input! But guess who's gonna be your kickass heroine?"

Appropriate guesses would include any of Zack's many lady friends or possibly a talentless supermodel. "Who?"

" _Tifa Lockhart!_ Can you believe it?!"

Cloud nearly dropped his phone. He wasn't hearing Zack anymore. Tifa Lockhart?

His thoughts flickered to the little girl with bright ruby eyes from Nibelheim. That was always the first image that came to his mind when he heard her name, even after seeing her everywhere thanks to _Starry Promises._ Shiva, he thought she was pretty back then, but Cloud was completely enchanted when he first saw her hauntingly beautiful image on the movie poster. He'd be lying if he said that he hadn't been looking up all of her interviews and TV appearances ever since. Part of him wondered if Zack had noticed, and if that was what gave him the idea to…

" – finalized just yesterday!" Whatever Zack had been babbling about apparently left him breathless. "So? Am I awesome, or am I awesome?"

"How long ago did you do this?" Cloud hoped that Zack couldn't hear the anxiety he was certain was leaking into his voice.

"Around the time you got your offer? But man, when I heard that Tifa was signed I was too excited to hide it any longer. I've been dying to tell you!"

Cloud was certain that his eye was twitching. So Zack had planned this for a while. "Why did you do this?" he said through gritted teeth.

Zack laughed. "Don't think that I didn't see how much you've been ogling her in the news lately! I know you wanna see her again even if you don't say so. So, aren't you at least going to thank me for giving you an excuse to finally talk to your old crush? Admit it, the only reason you haven't tried talking to her until now is because you couldn't find the balls to. You're welcome, man!"

Cloud was speechless. He couldn't come up with a retort, because Zack wasn't wrong. Not to mention the foreign fluttering sensation in the pit of his stomach when he realized that he was finally going to see Tifa Lockhart. They would be costarring, meaning countless interviews and promotions for months after filming, red carpet appearances at premieres, possibly attending award shows…

Zack had given him an opening. An opening, or a shove? An uneasy feeling took over the fluttering as he remembered the last time he saw her, all those years ago...

"Just get back to work," Cloud muttered into the phone. He distantly heard some protest about a lunch break before ending the call.

Only then did he become aware of an insistent yipping from below, prompting him to look down. Happy puppy Zack managed to tangle himself in the leash, seeming to pay no mind to his constant tripping. Cloud sighed, but couldn't help the small, slightly exasperated chuckle that escaped him as he stooped down.

"You know, I think I'm beginning to understand why Aerith named you after Zack," he said as the puppy lapped at his palm. "You're both impossible, for starters."

* * *

On the one hand, Cloud was relieved to finally have the hyper fur ball removed from his care. On the other, it meant having to deal with the man-child that had been enlisted to pick it up.

"Aw c'mon, Cloud, I did it 'cause I thought you'd be thrilled!" Zack protested.

Cloud sighed as he just walked away from the front door and further into his apartment. His friend might be a little rash, but he always had good intentions. "No, you didn't do a bad thing," he said. "Really, you didn't. It's just, well, a little warning would've been nice."

He walked into the kitchen and pulled a water bottle out of the fridge. As he was drinking, Cloud could see Zack frowning out of the corner of his eye. "Sounds to me that this is actually bothering you more than it should," he said thoughtfully.

"Look, I'm sorry that I was being ungrateful earlier," Cloud said tiredly. "But I guess it is what it is, now."

He was more than ready to drop the topic, but unfortunately, Zack Fair wasn't one to give up. Slowly, Zack dipped into his line of vision as he inspected his face with a look of exaggerated concentration. Suddenly, he straightened up and snapped his fingers, a devilish on his face.

"Is the illustrious Cloud Strife _shy_ about his old crush?" Zack said in a teasing voice. "Or should I say that she's _still_ your crush?"

Cloud frowned as he felt heat rise in his face, and quickly lowered his head.

"Aha, so it is!"

"Can you leave?"

"You're dodging the question, which means I'm right."

Cloud didn't dare lift his head, fearing that his face would give him away. Acting was a detached art form, where fantasy departed from reality and the characters he portrayed were just that. Characters. The joy or the pain that came with the story didn't connect to him personally, which usually posed a challenge for other people and was what made acting a skill. He was good at acting. But when it came to reality, Cloud knew he was an open book, and he hated it.

It wasn't just his own cowardice. Yes, Cloud admitted to himself that part of him was just plain shy about seeing Tifa again. But there were still other reasons, other reasons that had him fearing the chances of running into Tifa sooner or later. He wanted to see her more than he was willing to admit, but he wasn't sure if she'd want to see him as much as he did.

Zack gave him no option though. And Ifrit, he couldn't quit just because of Tifa! This was a job, so he was going to treat it like one. If Tifa ends up being unsettled by the prospect of working together, Cloud would just have to man up and be professional about it. You had to be, to get anywhere in the industry.

Feeling somewhat resolved, Cloud finally lifted his head. "Get out of my house," he said, relieved that his voice sounded controlled.

"Aw, c'mon Cloud! I'm just trying to help here!"

A helpful thought occurred to him. "Don't you have a dog waiting in your car?"

Zack's eyes widened. "Oh crap. He'd better not have peed or something...!" And with a rushed goodbye, he was gone.

Cloud sighed as he downed the rest of his water bottle. Professional. That's what he'd be. He had no idea how Tifa would act towards him, and he realized that he was actually terrified about that. So he had to be prepared.

Part of the reason that Cloud enjoyed being an actor was because he had the chance to be anybody but himself. In these fantasy worlds, he wasn't the quiet, stubborn man that he lived as. He had been a mercenary, a surgeon, a spy, a schoolteacher, and a multitude of other things that allowed him to escape his reality if only for a short while. He sucked at being Cloud Strife, but he was good at wearing masks for the camera. They gave him a certain feeling of power, as if being a different person would make him invincible. He _felt_ invincible when he was playing a part. The characters he embodied were powerful and intense, ranging from strong to elegant to suave to fearless. They could wield a sword, shoot a gun, drive a high speed chase, and save people's lives. They were everything that Cloud Strife was not. If anything, the only skill he truly had was wearing masks.

Perhaps a mask was just what he needed now. Cloud thought about the first movie he ever filmed _,_ where he had portrayed a confident but arrogant fighter. That was exactly the kind of role he could use.

 _I might suck at being Cloud Strife, but I can play the part of a SOLDIER_.


	3. Opposites

**A/N:** I hate how this is a filler more than anything. Initially I was going to have Cloud and Tifa meet in this chapter, but I figured it was way too soon for them to meet. But don't worry, they'll reunite soon enough! ;D

I'm also gonna remind you guys that I know nothing about celebrity life or the acting business, so I had to do some research and even still, I don't think I'm accurate whatsoever. Like what exactly does a manager do for an actor...?

This is probably important for continuity purposes, but I decided to go back and edit a few things in the first two chapters. For instance, Cloud's breakout film has been renamed from _SOLDIER_ to _Crisis Core_ to make things easier to remember, and because I keep accidentally calling it that (and for the sake of allusion, of course! ...too obvious?)

Also, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! Your reviews are much much appreciated ^^

* * *

 **Chapter 3 ~ Opposites**

* * *

The simple walk from the gym to her apartment was relatively quiet mostly consisted of back roads. Tifa still adjusted her cap just a little lower as she turned onto a larger street. _Starry Promises_ had introduced her to the threat of obsessive fans, sly paparazzi, and a new appreciation for privacy. She still had to get used to concealing her face in some form when she wasn't in Sector 5. While Tifa was disgruntled by the change, she supposed that she had already accepted the potential consequences the moment she sealed her fate in her first contract.

Tifa might have lost some of her freedom in these familiar streets, but she smiled to herself as she recalled the time she sent off one stalker with a nice bump on his head as a souvenir. That was what she practiced martial arts for. She wondered how many celebrities could fend off their creepers.

Martial arts was one part of her identity that let her disconnect from Tifa Lockhart, celebrity and Sector 5's "rising bombshell." At the dojo, she was just Tifa Lockhart, former student of the illustrious Master Zangan with eight years of experience under her belt. People there respected her for her skill and only cared about when they'll finally be able to win a fight against her. It was one final fragment of her original identity, and one that she clutched to her with ferocity.

By coincidence, she is going to play an expert martial artist in Genesis's movie, and given that this is an action movie, Tifa anticipated that she would be partaking in a lot of fight sequences. She already decided that she wanted to do her own stunts, seeing that many of those "stunts" were simple stage fights that she was sure she could do by herself. This role would help Tifa ward off the bombshell image that Sector 5 seemed to be forcing her into. The oversexualized photoshoots were bad enough; hopefully, this film would help change things and show that she's got more to her than a pretty face.

As Tifa walked down the street, she saw a sign saying Seventh Heaven come into view. It was her favorite hangout, one she went to not for the drinks, but simply for the atmosphere. Like the dojo, it was a comfortable haven where she could get a breath of fresh air. As she approached the door, Tifa impulsively decided that she would stop in for a bit.

Seventh Heaven was unique in that it wasn't just another flashy nightclub or a sleazy joint. Its appeal came from its modest but homey atmosphere. The small bar radiated a welcoming feeling that encouraged muted but pleasant conversation, and lacked the tackiness that usually surrounds the presence of alcohol. Maybe it was run that way because of the owner's four year old daughter, but Tifa appreciated the simplicity. There weren't enough places like this in Midgar, in her opinion.

She didn't care that Seventh Heaven and the dojo were in the slums, or that she enjoyed spending time in the slums for that matter. The upper plate might be cleaner, but the people were stiffer and the service was colder. Contrary to popular belief, people in the slums of Midgar tended to be quite pleasant, as long as you avoided the shadier areas such as Wall Market. Tifa always tried to make the most of her time underneath the plate before she had to return to the literal higher society.

Stepping inside the bar, she was immediately greeted by an enthusiastic "Tifa!" and the pattering of little feet. She smiled and opened her arms for the little girl running towards her, reaching down for a cuddly hug.

"Hey Tifa!" From the nearby booth he tends to occupy, a large black man waved his prosthetic gun arm. "Marlene's been hoping you'd stop by. She was upset that you didn't come yesterday."

She laughed as she looked down at Marlene. "I can't come every day, you know," she chided teasingly.

Marlene smiled up at her. "But I like it when you come," she said. "Jessie's working and Biggs and Wedge aren't here yet. It's boring." The little girl pouted.

Tifa smoothed Marlene's hair with a smile. Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge were her friends, also regulars at Seventh Heaven. The four of them liked to gather there once in a while for a drink, going so often that they befriended the owner. "You know, I'm very busy, but I'll always try to make time to come here when I can," Tifa said.

"Ah, don't trouble yourself to come just for Marlene." The black man shook his head apologetically.

"No, don't be sorry, Barret," Tifa insisted. "It's no trouble at all. I come here because I like coming here."

"What, and not because of me?" a different voice piped in.

Tifa rolled her eyes sarcastically as she turned to the bar. "Oh be quiet Johnny, you know I think you're a great bartender," she said.

Johnny grinned at her from behind the bar. " _Just_ a great bartender? Doesn't my hotness get a shout out?" he said cheekily.

"Just get me some Corel wine," she said, laughing inwardly. Johnny's horrible flirting skills might score him a lot of women, but Tifa was immune to his skeevy charms and he knew that. That didn't stop him from testing new pick-up lines on her once in a while, but there was something oddly comforting in her friendship with the bartender, as well as the owner. It gave Tifa a sense of belonging there.

After getting her glass from Johnny, she slid into Barret's booth with Marlene beside her. Regulars knew not to go overboard and antagonize the aggressive father, who could get very protective of Marlene. Barret himself handled any rowdy drunks personally. He was the bouncer of his own bar, but that's how he preferred running his business.

"So, how you been?" Barret asked.

Tifa shrugged. "Well, things are finally starting to die down, I think. Less interviews and TV appearances. But I did meet with Genesis yesterday."

"So you took his offer?"

"Yup! I signed the contract yesterday. Really, I don't think I could've turned it down anyway. It was too good to turn down." She laughed.

"Well, congrats!" Barret grinned widely. "This is gonna be big for you, ain't it?"

Tifa smiled as she nodded. "I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited to do it. It's a big movie, and Genesis said that shooting could take almost half a year. I've never filmed for that long before."

"You're gonna be outta town for a while then, huh?"

"Yeah, I was told to look forward to a lot of traveling, so unfortunately I won't be coming back here for a while once shooting starts."

Tifa felt a light tugging on her sleeve and looked down at a pouting Marlene. "So you're gonna be gone for a long time?" she asked. "Why do you have to go?"

"Because it's her job," Barret said for her.

"It won't be that long. I'll be back before you know it," Tifa promised.

"Then you have to come every day before you have to leave," Marlene said decidedly.

"Marlene!" Barret scolded. But Tifa had to smile at the little girl's insistence.

"Alright, it's a deal," Tifa agreed.

Barret gave her a look that asked her not to encourage his daughter, but that only made Tifa laugh. "It's okay, Barret. I probably would've started doing that anyway. I'm gonna miss Seventh Heaven while I'm away."

The bar owner shook his head, chuckling softly. "If you insist, Tifa."

"Really! I like coming here. It's – " Tifa frowned as she fished for the words she needed. "…Comforting," she said. "You guys are my friends, not like the people I have to work with all the time in Sector 5."

"That reminds me, so this means you're okay 'bout that Cloud Strife guy you mentioned before?" Barret said.

 _That's right,_ _I almost forgot that he knows about that._ The more she had thought about it, the more Tifa got nervous about how Cloud would react when he found out that she was cast. No doubt he'd think it's just because she wanted to see him. She wondered what he'd say when they finally saw each other again. _Then again, I could just brush it off as a pure_ _career move._

"It should be fine. It'd be stupid to turn the offer down because of him. Besides…" Tifa let out an empty chuckle. "Maybe he won't remember me. It's been almost ten years anyway."

Barret shrugged. "Whatever you say, Tifa. But man, you're just climbin' that career ladder so fast. Just don't be a stranger when you get even mo' famous after this!"

"Yeah, don't be a stranger!" Wide-eyed, Tifa looked at Marlene, who had just imitated her father's gruff voice. She tried to fight the smile creeping onto her face, but soon she burst out laughing, with Barret and Marlene quickly joining her. She definitely knew that even without Marlene's demand, she would be coming back every day until shooting anyway.

* * *

"He has a military background, so he's an ideal teacher for you."

Cloud released a quiet sigh as his manager continued on about the sword instructor he found. He already practiced swordsmanship himself. He didn't see why he had to get a teacher to teach him what he already knows.

"Look, Tseng, can't I just have Zack spar with me a few times a week?" he said in exasperation. "I'm not inexperienced, I actually know how to use a sword."

"Cloud, weren't you the one who said you might need extra training?" Tseng replied. "You said you'll be using a ridiculously oversized sword that will call for additional skill and strength to handle. I think it's best to get some guidance from a professional."

"Can this guy actually teach me how to use it though?" Cloud asked doubtfully.

"That's exactly why I contacted him. Angeal is known for his ability to use unconventional weapons, oversized swords included."

"Wait, Angeal? By any chance, is his name Angeal Hewley?"

"Ah, so you know him?"

"Zack's friends with him."

"Is that so? If Zack knows him, I'm sure he will be an ideal instructor for you."

Cloud knew that Angeal was Zack's combat instructor for his role in _Crisis Core_ _._ Oddly enough, in that film, Zack's character wielded a similarly oversized sword. He recalled how impressed he had been back then to see Zack carrying such a large weapon with apparent ease. Actually, Cloud himself had to wield the same sword for one particular scene, although he didn't need special training to shoot it. Regardless, Zack did talk about Angeal highly, showing an obvious respect for him.

"Alright, then. Can you arrange for me to meet with him...three times a week?"

Even though it was quiet, he could hear Tseng's amused chuckle over the phone. "Already done. I added the training sessions to your calendar."

"Damn Tseng, always on top of things. What if I said no?"

"Please, I know you all too well."

Cloud chuckled. "I don't usually stroke your ego, but that's why you're the best in the business."

He could imagine Tseng smirking over the phone. "Also, I'd advise that you get a personal trainer. You should probably build some more muscle if you're going to wave around a giant kitchen knife. I actually haven't looked for one yet, so I can call one after hanging up."

Another thought came to his mind at the recommendation. "Actually, I don't think that's the right way to go this time," Cloud said. "My normal routines should be enough in terms of muscle. What I need, though, is to lose the fat."

"Lose _just_ the fat?" Tseng sounded incredulous. "Why so?"

"I won't go too much into detail, but I think my character in the film is supposed to be pretty thin and sickly," Cloud explained. "I should look drained, but still powerful, like I'm running on artificial strength. Think you could find a dietitian who can help me?"

"That's a strange and specific request, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Tseng. Anything else?"

"That's it as far as what I thought you needed to do so far. Let me know if you think you need anything else."

"Alright."

Cloud snapped his phone shut and tossed it onto the coffee table. _Sometimes, it feels like half my job revolves around phone calls, he_ mused as he exhaled and leaned back on the couch. _Actually, no. One-third phone calls, one-third muscle-building, and one-third actually working._

The diet would definitely be a change of pace, though. Although Cloud hadn't acted in many films, the few roles he did have almost always called for him to force his body to shape-shift into specific body types. Cloud never liked that, and always fought to draw the line at a certain muscle mass. He personally preferred a fairly lithe body, light and agile. This had to be the first time he was allowed to retain something that really resembled his normal body, even if he had to look half-starved at the same time.

Cloud was going to play an ex-soldier-turned-mercenary who was heavily experimented on by a scientist, meaning that he'd have to look muscular but haunted. His character had gone through an immense amount of trauma and ordeal, so much so that Cloud wondered how anybody could possibly survive what he went through. Then again, this was a movie, and Cloud was playing the main protagonist.

For now, the film was in pre-production. Even before they start the first table reads, Cloud had to look forward to sword training, snowboarding, chocobo riding, and who know what else in preparation for the role. He wondered if there was anything else he was forgetting…

As if on cue, his phone began to vibrate again. Cloud let out a deep sigh before picking it up, flipping it open without even bothering to look at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Cloud?" It was his publicist, Elena. "There's been a time change to tomorrow's photo shoot. They're asking that you come at one instead of three."

"Well, not like I got much of a choice, right?" Photo shoots were something that he never liked, but Elena always insisted that they were crucial to his career.

"Oh c'mon, Strife, I know all these photo shoots have been annoying lately, but this is the last one we have lined up. Your schedule's not _that_ busy." Her voice betrayed a slight teasing tone.

"You promise? No more after this?"

"Nope. Besides, you're going to start filming your next movie soon, right?"

"Soon," he agreed. "I don't know when shooting's gonna start, but I'll probably be busy for at least the next six months. So no more publicity gigs for a while, right?"

"Right! Well, you'll probably have the occasional interview during shooting to promote the movie..." Cloud groaned inwardly. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Sterne published its latest issue yesterday with your interview, you know, the one where you got named 'Hottie of the Year'? I'll send you a photo of your cover…!"

He knew that Elena had a tendency to ramble about things she already mentioned before, and he knew that she forgot that she already told him about this yesterday. At the same time, Cloud was never really successful with cutting Elena off, so he usually just waited it out until she decides it's time to hang up.

"And that makes phone call number four today, and it's only ten AM," Cloud murmured to himself after she hung up. It seemed funny, since technically Tseng was the one who was supposed to take care of most of his business. Even still, that didn't save him from having to talk to his his publicist, his agent, his man-child of a best friend, miscellaneous people…

Cloud stared at the cell phone in his hand. _Can you just combust and leave me in peace for one day?_

As though the universe was trying to spite him, the phone started to vibrate. Again. He stared at it in disbelief for a moment before flipping it open.

"Hello, Cloud."

"Genesis." This was new. Genesis never really called him, and the only time Cloud could think of was when he wanted to finalize the contract for the film.

"Hopefully you are free this afternoon?"

"Today?" Cloud reflexively glanced at the clock. "What for?"

"Just to chat, maybe discuss the script and any questions you might have. I like getting to know my actors, you know."

Huh, this was different. Sure, Cloud got to know the directors he worked with, but usually more so around production. Whatever the case, he also knew about Genesis's much more personal approach to filmmaking. He usually ends up close friends with the actors he works with, and Cloud guessed that Genesis wanted to befriend him too.

"Sure, I can meet up," he said.


	4. Unexpected

**A/N:** The more I thought about it, the more it would've made sense for Tifa and Cloud to have their chemistry tested first before Tifa is cast, and for each of them to wig out then. I'm pretty sure that a director would've wanted them to meet first before casting Tifa, to ensure that she and Cloud would actually work well together. Nothing sucks more than horrible chemistry, amirite? Then again, I have no clue how closely directors look at the chemistry between actors if they're not explicit love interests. Dang I feel like a stickler about details but it'd be nice to know haha.

And as always, thank you so so much to those of you who reviewed! ^^

* * *

 **Chapter 4 ~ Unexpected**

* * *

Tifa recalled what Genesis said about getting on a personal level with his work. She supposed that was the reason she was called back to the same café the next day. Genesis had insisted on getting to know her better. The call was a little strange and random, no doubt, but then again it was clear that Genesis worked quite differently from other directors. Tifa wondered if she should've brought the script or something.

She had been reading it a lot, and not just for filming. Tifa was enraptured by the story, and for the first time in a long time she was really excited to start. It was a large action and adventure story revolving around a mercenary who got tangled up with an eco-terrorist group, eventually going on to take down the corporation responsible for heinous deeds surrounding a vengeful madman and a destructive alien organism that plagued the mercenary himself. That mercenary, Tifa knew, was going to be played by none other than Cloud. She would be playing the main female protagonist, a bartender and member of the eco-terrorist group who is responsible for roping the mercenary in.

Reading a script is a curious thing, because even though there are stage directions to add context around the dialogue, the actual images and interpretations of the scenes are still in the head of the director. If there was anything that Genesis was known for as a director, it was his way of telling his stories that expanded them beyond the script in such a way that reading the script alone barely told half the story. Working for Genesis would be filling a hefty order, and Tifa knew that she had her work cut out for her.

She had done another full, thorough read-through before heading to the café, wondering exactly what Genesis's vision was. She'd actually like to ask some questions, if she was going to understand her character better. Regardless, Tifa _was_ excited about the role, which was quite a departure from her dramatic character in _Starry Promises._ The bartender also happened to be a martial arts expert, something that Tifa could actually relate to. She wasn't going to be playing a helpless damsel, and she loved it.

Tifa was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize where her eyes were wandering until they stopped on a pair of deep blue eyes staring directly at her. She stopped dead in her tracks. There was no mistaking the shock of spiky blond hair she hasn't seen since Nibelheim.

Cloud was sitting with Genesis at a table outside the café, although he didn't seem to be listening to whatever the director was saying at that point. Tifa felt a telltale blush seeping into her cheeks as he continued to stare at her. Forcing her feet to move, she tore her eyes away and quickly approached them. She desperately tried to avoid Cloud's gaze, but she knew that he still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. The thought only added heat to her face.

Genesis belatedly realized that Cloud was no longer listening to him and was instead gaping over his shoulder. He turned around to see Tifa approaching. "Ah, you're here!" he said with a smile.

Tifa nodded numbly, still unable to really lift her gaze any higher than the tabletop.

Looking back and forth between a staring Cloud and a flustered Tifa, Genesis's smile widened. "This is fantastic, it seems that you two already have an attraction to each other!" He laughed as Tifa quickly looked at the ground and Cloud jumped, reddening considerably.

"You didn't tell me that she was coming," Cloud said weakly.

"I thought it'd be a nice surprise." Genesis beamed. "I wanted you two to meet each other well before everyone else."

Tifa dared a glance at Cloud, avoiding his eyes. "Actually, we already know each other," she said softly.

The look on Genesis's face could be described as conspiratorial. "Ah, so this is why Cloud's friend had referred me to Tifa," he said thoughtfully. Tifa's eyes widened at this revelation, and she finally looked up at Cloud, who was suddenly avoiding her gaze.

"I invited you two here to introduce you and to get a gauge of your chemistry," Genesis explained. "It somewhat slipped my mind as Lazard and I were talking about casting Tifa. But it appears that there's nothing to worry about." His eyes were twinkling with delight.

"But our characters aren't love interests, are they?" Tifa asked with some confusion.

"Not quite, but they care for each other greatly," Genesis said. "Not to mention, you two are a little more important than the other leads. How you work together will be more important than any other relationship on set. So I'm thrilled that you two already know each other. Old friends?"

Cloud finally looked up at Tifa, and she offered a small smile. The corner of his mouth lifted in response. "We grew up in the same town," he said.

Genesis chuckled. "It seems that you have a lot of catching up to do. I'm already confident in your chemistry, so how about I leave you to it?" He was already getting up.

"Already?" Tifa and Cloud asked together.

"I have a sense for this kind of thing," Genesis said with a wink. "Besides, I think it's better if I leave you two alone. I'll call you both when we set up a day for a joint screen test."

Tifa almost protested, too embarrassed to be left alone with Cloud already. But to her surprise, Cloud nodded. "We'll see you later, then." With a grin, Genesis was gone.

Tifa felt at a loss of what to say or do next. She eyed the now empty seat where Genesis was sitting, figuring that she should probably sit down for a start. Suddenly feeling much more self-conscious, she slid onto the chair and faced Cloud. His blue eyes were piercing, but gentle. "Tifa," he murmured.

"Hey, Cloud," she said softly. "I see you've been well."

He grunted in reply. So he still wasn't a big talker. Tifa shifted uncomfortably at his unreadable eyes. He wasn't…disappointed to see her, was he?

"So…I have your friend to thank for this, huh?" she said, searching for a topic.

Cloud looked away. Was he…embarrassed? "He thought you'd be good for the role," he said.

"Because we already know each other?"

He shrugged.

Tifa's head was swimming for something to continue the conversation. _What the heck, I might as well. Reunions are supposed be at least a_ little _sappy._ "It's really good to see you," she said honestly.

Cloud seemed to have been caught off-guard. His eyes shot up, slightly wide with surprise. Then it quickly melted away into a smirk. " _Really_ good, huh?" he said.

Now Tifa was the one caught off-guard. She couldn't help raising an eyebrow at his response. All Tifa had seen of Cloud for the past few years was whatever she saw in magazines and on screen. She had no idea how he had changed since she last saw him in Nibelheim, but he already seemed distant from the shy little boy she had known from her childhood. She didn't know how much she liked it.

"Well, it is!" Tifa said. When his smirk widened, she decided that this was a good opening. "You've come a long way from Nibelheim," she added.

Cloud folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Not just me," he said. "I saw _Starry Promises_ the other day. It's really good."

 _Really?_ He seemed to be surprising her in every way. "It's nothing big," Tifa said. "Really, it's overhyped in my opinion.

"Overhyped?" Cloud lifted an eyebrow. "Why are you downplaying it? You did an amazing job. You deserve all the hype over it."

Tifa blushed at the sudden compliment. Suddenly, she felt a little bolder. "And what about you, 'Hottie of the Year'?" she teased.

"Hey, I have no say in what those magazines publish!" But Cloud was chuckling. Tifa joined him, and the discomfort finally felt like it was beginning to dissolve.

"But who would've thought that we'd reunite like this?" Cloud continued.

"Leading costars for a Genesis Rhapsodos movie?" Tifa shook her head. "If someone told me that a few years ago, I wouldn't have believed them. It seems too improbable."

"It takes some getting used to," Cloud admitted. " _I'm_ still not used to it."

"Not just that part." Tifa laughed. "I mean the chances of meeting again like this."

Cloud gave her a cheeky grin. "Well, we _are_ both actors. Come to think of it, how'd you end up acting anyway?"

Tifa shrugged. "I wanted to get out of Nibelheim," she said. "People wouldn't think a small town girl would get anywhere, so I looked for something in the city. Then I found out that I really liked acting."

The blond smiled. "Sounds like something you'd do," he commented.

She had to smile back. He was beginning to sound more like the Cloud she remembered. "And what about you? You left Nibelheim so unexpectedly…"

Cloud suddenly furrowed his brow. He shrugged, and looked away. "Same kinda reason, I guess," he said slowly. "Wanted to get out of there."

He was hiding something. Now she was certain of it. But Tifa remembered that even back when they were kids, trust was earned very carefully with him. She wasn't about to risk that by prodding any more than necessary. She'd brush it off and let it pass.

"I mean, can anyone blame us? It's such a small village, and nothing ever happens there." Tifa shrugged.

Cloud's expression was unreadable. He seemed to be wavering back and forth, she realized. But no matter what he was hiding, Tifa wanted to be his friend. The mercenary and the bartender were childhood friends that reunited after several years. It seemed funny how that part of the story paralleled theirs. Tifa wasn't asking for a play-by-play, but she was hoping to finally get to know Cloud a little more.

"Crap, I'm sorry." Cloud shook his head as though he were clearing it. "We've been sitting here for a while but I didn't bother asking if you wanted anything."

"Huh?"

He motioned with his head to the café front behind him. "Do you want coffee or something?"

It was such an insignificant little thing, but for some reason, the gesture was reassuring to Tifa. She smiled. "I'd like that," she said.

* * *

Cloud wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Tifa wasn't guarded. If anything, she sounded happy to see him.

Something wasn't adding up, and Cloud didn't like it. He was still content to listen as Tifa chattered about a bar she often went to with her friends. He really couldn't help the small smile that he knew was stuck on his face. With her, he wasn't an outcast or a glorified piece of meat. Tifa just treated him…like Cloud.

It was almost as if...she _forgot._ Cloud couldn't find any other reason for her carefree attitude. Tifa didn't seem to radiate any kind of spite or hurt. If anything, she should be yelling at him for being a coward, for all those years ago. Why didn't she remember anyway? Of all people, Tifa should've remembered the most. She was the one who got hurt the most…

He quickly decided to shake those thoughts for now. It was too risky to ask and Tifa's response was too unpredictable at the moment. Cloud wondered how long it would take for the truth to come out.

He refocused his attention on Tifa, who was still going on about the bar owner's daughter with shining eyes. She had only grown more beautiful since he last saw her. When Cloud first caught sight of her, walking towards the café, he immediately found himself entranced. For a long time, Tifa had only been a fleeting memory, one that left a bittersweet hollow in his chest. Now here he was, sitting right in front of her for the first time in years, and he can hardly breathe.

Shiva, how he wanted to take off his mask for her. Tifa was acting friendly and open enough for him to want to end his charade. But in the case that she remembers why he left Nibelheim, or if it's brought up, he couldn't risk it. Cloud didn't know if he could take the hurt that would come. More importantly, he didn't know if she could take the feeling of betrayal if she found out. No, it was probably better if he kept the mask on, to minimize the inevitable collateral damage. If he opened up too much, if they got too close...

"Cloud?" He blinked, and met Tifa's wine-colored eyes. The same eyes he admired since he was a little boy. "Did you hear me?"

Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head before shaking it.

Tifa laughed. "I said, maybe I can bring you to the bar sometime."

 _The bar? Right, Seventh Heaven._ "Yeah, that would be nice," Cloud said without thinking further.

She beamed. "Well here, why don't we exchange numbers and you can give me a call when you're free," Tifa said. She turned to rummage inside her bag.

Cloud nodded numbly as he pulled out his own. Tifa obviously wasn't hiding any contempt, unless she was as good of an actress for reality as she is on screen. _Is hanging out more really a good idea?_

 _The mask. It should be okay as long as you keep your distance._

"You'd better call, okay?" Tifa said with a smile as she handed his phone back. "It can't hurt to catch up more outside of work."

"Yeah." Cloud realized that sounded like Tifa was ready to leave. "It's really good to see you, Tifa," he said without thinking.

She gave him a sly grin. " _Really_ good, huh?" she said mockingly.

Cloud shrugged and smirked in response. "Guilty."

That earned a laugh from her, which made his heart tighten in his chest. "I'll see you later, Cloud," Tifa said.

He nodded. "Later, Tifa."

As Cloud walked around the corner to where his motorcycle was parked, he narrowed his eyes at a man with a camera around his neck. He already knew that the man held pictures of him and Tifa sitting in front of the café, but learned long ago that fighting with the paparazzi was a lost cause. The only solution was to simply resorting to the typical hats and sunglasses to conceal his identity when he wanted privacy. He didn't necessarily hate them, but they were the mosquitoes of his existence. On the occasion that Cloud forgot that he was a high-profile celebrity, he'd find himself caught off-guard and getting mobbed. He shivered at the memories of such occasions.

Fortunately, news of him and Tifa being casted for Genesis's movie should ward off any ridiculous rumors that were bound to spring up in the tabloids. He had his fair share of being roped into cringe-worthy relationship speculations before flatly denying all of them. Not that he would mind being mistaken for being in a relationship with Tifa…Ifrit, what was wrong with him?

He had been so resolved to wear the mask to protect not just himself, but Tifa too. He didn't anticipate how hard it would be to wear it around her.


	5. Decisions

**A/N:** Thank you lovelies for the reviews! I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying this, and I hope you enjoy it more as we go along :D

I'm as eager to get straight to the fluffy stuff as you, but one step at a time, right? This fic _is_ based off of Leo and Kate, so there will be plenty of maddeningly cute things to come! (Gosh darn it they're literally all but married how can you _not_ be frustrated by that?) Honestly, I was so excited when I came up with the idea, I thought Cloud and Tifa were the perfect parallels. Except their feature film isn't gonna be just a plain romance movie like Titanic, because we ARE talking about Final Fantasy here...

And just a mild language warning, reminder that this fic is rated T.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 ~ Decisions**

* * *

Midgar wasn't close to a hot climate, but for some reason an unusually warm front flooded the city the same day that Cloud decided to visit the garage. He usually didn't like taking his shirt off while working, but it ended up off of him and somewhere on the floor anyway.

He slid out from underneath the vehicle and searched for his discarded shirt. Once he found it, Cloud used it to dab at his brow. He wondered if Cid ever thought that buying a fan was a good idea.

Speak of the devil, Cid came striding into the garage carrying two glasses of iced tea. "Damn kid, take a break, would ya?" he said. "Yer gonna pass out with the rate you've been goin' at."

He shrugged as he gratefully accepted the drink. "Lost track of time," Cloud said honestly.

"You stupid fucker. I'm kickin' ya out for a bit so ya don't overwork yourself." Cid gave him a narrow look. "I know if I let ya hang out in here yer gonna start workin' again anyway."

"Glad to know you care about me, Cid."

The mechanic let out a boisterous laugh. "Don't flatter yourself, shithead, I just can't afford to have ya passin' out on me. I ain't yer mother, Strife. Now get yer ass outta here!"

Moments later, Cloud found himself outside the side door of the garage, drink still in hand and his shirt shoved on by Cid for decency. Amazing how he could be an asshole and a total mom at the same time _._ He sighed as he settled on a bench on the shady side of the garage.

He had met Cid on the set for his most recent film, _G-Bike._ Cid sold himself as a simple mechanic, but after a few months of visiting the garage, Cloud learned that he was also a pilot and engineer who used to build his own planes. He didn't get far enough to learn why Cid had stopped.

Cid wasn't necessarily the most…pleasant company. The guy had a penchant for colorful language and smoked to the point where Cloud was sure his lungs would eventually begin to shrivel from all the secondhand smoke. At the same time, the guy really knew what he was doing when it came to engines, and he was the one who taught Cloud everything he knew about them. Cloud didn't know much before he met Cid, but his interest had been sparked when filming _G-Bike._

 _G-Bike_ was where Cloud first learned how to ride a motorcycle, and he hadn't looked back since. Cid teased him endlessly when he had purchased his own motorcycle not even a day after wrapping up. Now, Fenrir was one of Cloud's most prized possessions, especially because Cid helped him modify it above and beyond its original form. Cid might be an asshole, but Cloud felt that he owed the mechanic more than what money can pay.

Cid's garage had inadvertently become one of Cloud's favorite hangouts, and Cid had inadvertently become something of a friend. There might be a whole lot of cussing coming from one end, but Cloud took Cid's willingness to teach him about auto work as a sign of friendship. And for Cloud, making friends is an accomplishment.

Especially with Tifa. Ifrit knows why the fates decided to bring her back in his life, but he wasn't about to mess up again.

Realizing that his mind had wandered, Cloud groaned, fighting the impulse to smack his forehead at the risk of looking crazy to people passing by. No matter what he did to distract himself, she wouldn't get out of his mind. it was like he was in a spell where everything just led back to Tifa, Tifa, _Tifa._ Shiva, he wanted to see her, more than he wanted to admit. Yet every time Cloud eyed his phone for the past few days, his anxiety and plain cowardice got the best of him.

What was _wrong_ with him? Cloud ran a hand through his hair, willing the knots in his stomach to go away. When they traded numbers, she did say that he should call her. Maybe she's been waiting for him to call?

Or maybe she was just trying to be friendly.

He felt like a teenager.

A buzzing vibration against Cloud's leg yanked him from his thoughts, and he drew in a sharp breath. There was no way the universe could have a sense of humor sick enough to - nope, it was just Zack. Inwardly cringing at his own pathetic thoughts, he picked up his phone. "Hello?"

"Cloud."

He sat up straight, thrown off by the voice's tone. "Zack? What's wrong?" It was Zack, but not Zack. No, the voice was way too quiet and unsteady. It almost sounded like a completely different person.

He heard a shaky sigh. "Could you come over by any chance?"

"To your place?" Cloud asked. "I'm at Cid's right now, so it could take me a while."

"Then, maybe that bar that's like six blocks down from there?"

"Sounds good."

"I'll be there in fifteen."

A heaviness settled into Cloud's chest as he hung up. It was rare to hear Zack so put out, and even rarer that he wouldn't say what's wrong straight up. Whatever the case was, it had to be _very_ serious to put Zack in such a solemn mood.

* * *

"Aerith broke up with me."

Cloud blinked, startled by the abrupt statement. The sympathy followed soon after as he watched Zack bury his face in his hands.

"Zack…" He had no clue what to say. Cloud wasn't very good at comforting people, especially not with his closest friend. Usually it was the other way around.

Cloud knew that Zack had probably done all his crying before he even called him, so Zack showed no signs of tears as he looked up and shifted his gaze to the window. Even still, Cloud could see a glassy sorrow to his normally lively, electric blue eyes.

"She said things weren't working out." Zack's voice was thick and stuck in that quiet tone, which was only more unnerving in person. "Said it's probably better for the both of us."

"I don't understand," Cloud said. "I thought you guys were happy together."

"That's what I thought too, man." Zack let out a hollow laugh. "Then again, it's all 'cause of me."

Cloud frowned. "Don't say that Zack," he said. "You wouldn't do anything to make her upset."

"No, it's not that," Zack said. He finally turned his gaze to Cloud. The emptiness in his eyes was unsettling and showed an obvious discomfort. "I got an offer today. Veld Verdot needed a replacement for the lead in his next blockbuster."

The change in topic seemed odd to Cloud. "That's amazing," he finally said.

"It is. It's gonna be more than that though. International. And a trilogy." Zack began picking at his uneaten fries. "The contract's probably gonna have me living overseas for the next couple of years…maybe more if it really hits off."

Cloud knew that by more, Zack meant that he would be away from home indefinitely. Veld Verdot was a huge filmmaker, and working with him was guaranteed to skyrocket Zack's career, but he was famous for filming all around the world. The realization made Cloud's throat tighten as he fished for encouraging words. "That's a huge offer, Zack. It'd be stupid to turn it down," he said.

"Yeah, it's pretty big," Zack said. "I told Aerith first. But then…she said that maybe this long-distance thing just wasn't going to work anymore."

"I thought you guys were good with that though."

"I did too." Zack looked up at him mournfully. "But then she said that she'd been thinking about breaking things off for a while. Said that…things are just too hard when I'm always traveling."

Cloud didn't know how to respond. He couldn't blame Aerith, because five years of long-distance had to be rough. Zack just traveled a lot because he loved going international. This was the first time Zack said he'd be gone from home for a prolonged period of time, though.

"Zack, you can't turn this down," Cloud finally said. "It's such a big opportunity, so don't let this stop you."

"I know, I know." Zack sighed. "But I guess I had this coming. I can't just expect Aerith to wait for me like she always did."

"We're all gonna miss you," Cloud said quietly. He was still absorbing the fact that Zack would be all but moving away entirely. As annoying as he found his man-child friend, Zack had been the one to convince Cloud to try acting, and was at his side for his entire career ever since. The idea of Zack's prolonged absence was something Cloud found unsettling.

Zack frowned apologetically as he noticed Cloud's furrowed brow. "It's really sudden, isn't it," he said.

"When would you be leaving?"

"Two weeks. I was called so late that filming's already scheduled to start next month."

Cloud leaned back in his booth, letting the surrealism of the news numb him. "Two weeks," he repeated. Two weeks suddenly felt like an incredibly short amount of time.

Zack chuckled humorlessly. "I'm sorry Cloud, this is a lot to take in and here I am getting hung up over Aerith."

"Don't be sorry," Cloud said. "I know this is all really hard on you."

"I'm just so frustrated. _Arrrrrgh!_ " Zack ran his hand through his black spikes. "I really wanna take this offer, but I also wanna stay home and be with my girl. If she'll take me back, that is."

"I guess…that's just the price we pay for what we do," Cloud murmured. It was true, that acting came with certain prices. Whatever they sacrificed, they weren't allowed to just ask for the normal things, like steady work hours or a predictable schedule. That was just a part of the job.

Zack frowned thoughtfully as he swirled his beer. Even though he didn't say anything, Cloud knew that his best friend was already thinking about a win-win solution. That was something about Zack that made him reckless. He always insisted that there was a way around things. Sometimes, he would go to extremes and push his limits to get to his goal. Cloud wondered what lengths Zack would be willing to take now for the sake of Aerith. He knew that he had to say something, before Zack does something stupid.

"I won't take the job."

Cloud blinked. "Did...did I hear that correctly?"

Zack chuckled lowly. "As much as I wanna do this, Aerith means so much more to me," he said. "I'll tell them I can't do it."

"No." Cloud shook his head. "Zack, you can't just drop everything like that."

"Why the hell not?" Zack spread his arms, gesturing at nothing in particular. "She's more important to me than my job, than all of this! In fact, why don't I just retire altogether?"

Cloud grit his teeth. "Listen to yourself! What about your dream?"

That was enough to sober Zack up. "My dream," he murmured.

"Don't just throw away everything you've worked for, Zack," Cloud said quietly. "You just might regret it if you do."

His friend said nothing. He was deep in thought, and his face told that he was wavering. Cloud knew he had to stop his best friend from making such a reckless decision. He still feared for whatever the outcome may be. The problem was, once Zack set his mind to something, it was near impossible to sway him.


	6. Holding Back

**A/N:** AHHH sorry that this took so long to come out! School's been a bust, and I've barely had time to breathe until I got all these projects done. Finals are also coming up, and I somehow miraculously threw together this chapter. Not to mention, I've been debating over what direction to go in for this chapter. So this chapter might be a bit rough because I really wanted to get it out for you guys, but I'll try to edit it at a later date.

Also, sorry if you guys were caught off-guard last chapter! I'm just as upset as you guys about Zack and Aerith splitting up so soon. In fact, when I look back on it, it _does_ sound like a really abrupt turn of events, but I do have plans for what this will do for the story in the future. I did promise Zerith, and I intend to follow through with that promise. And yes, I will introduce Aerith soon, I promise that there's a method to this madness!

Final thing! I decided to get on-board with the direct reply to reviews thing starting with the previous chapter, because I just really appreciate your support! They'll be at the bottom of this chapter. Really, thank you all so much for reading! I hope I didn't lose too many of you over this short break _

* * *

 **Chapter 6 ~ Holding Back**

* * *

Tifa wondered if she had been that energetic when she was a teenager. Then again, she was only twenty. Only a few months ago, she was a teenager herself.

Even still, maybe it would be reasonable to say that Yuffie's a breed of teenager all on her own.

"C'mon, my grandma could do better than that!" Yuffie's eyes glinted with mischievousness, never ceasing her bouncing in her fighting stance.

"I think that's enough for today," Tifa laughed breathlessly. She wasn't necessarily exhausted, but her muscles were becoming sore enough that she knew it was best to stop.

Yuffie pouted as her bouncing ceased. "Aw, you're no fun," she said. "The Great Ninja Yuffie was just getting warmed up, too!"

"Hey, I'm going to be back tomorrow anyway," Tifa reminded her. She pulled off her gloves as she made her way to the benches. She and Yuffie both knew that she could go on for longer, and normally she _would_ go for longer, but Tifa now kept Master Zangan's firm advice against overworking herself to heart. She'd need to, if she was going to extend training to five days a week.

Tifa couldn't help glancing at her phone as soon as she sat down. She sighed inwardly as she saw that there were no new messages or missed calls. Maybe it was a bit of a far-fetched hope. Sure, it was a silly little hope that had her peeking at her phone screen consistently for the past week, but she only felt it grow dimmer and dimmer every day.

As she pulled on her socks and sneakers, Tifa absently wondered if maybe Cloud was just busy. He _did_ promise that he'd call, and who was she to expect that he'd do so right away? She shouldn't worry that it's already been a week, right?

"Helloooo?" She blinked as a waving hand came to focus in her line of vision. "Did you hear me?" Yuffie said.

Shaking herself out of her own head, Tifa looked up at Yuffie. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Sheesh, you've been pretty distracted lately," Yuffie said. She raised her eyebrows and her lips curled into a mischievous grin. "What's goin' on?"

"Oh…you know, work…" Tifa blundered.

"Work's never bothered you like this before."

"Well I _do_ have a film project coming up…"

"Alright, spill the beans. It's a guy, isn't it?"

"What?" Shiva, if there was one thing Tifa learned that week, it was that she was more of a blusher than she thought.

"Aha! It _is_ a guy!" Yuffie put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, smiling suggestively. "So, who's the dude? Is he cute?"

Tifa forced herself into a calm, exasperated expression before looking up again. "There's no guy," she managed to say in a slightly annoyed tone. "Work's just spiking up, and I'm getting pretty busy. It _is_ my biggest role yet, after all." She rolled her eyes playfully for good measure.

"I call bullshit!" Yuffie cried. "And I _will_ find out who this guy is."

Tifa just threw a smile and a dismissive wave over her shoulder as she went out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

"Mark my words! The Great Ninja Yuffie can figure out _anything!_ "

As the door shut behind her, Tifa exhaled and rolled her shoulders. Being with Yuffie was always exhausting in any way possible. Maybe it wasn't totally necessary for her to go into full actress mode, but gossip and Yuffie was a dangerous combination. Tifa pulled on her cap and made sure her ponytail was snug before rounding the corner and slipping quietly onto the street. She didn't notice when her mind began to wander again.

 _Sometimes Yuffie could be a little too nosy for her own good. Heh, well she_ does _consider herself a ninja after all. I guess it only makes sense that she enjoys snooping around. Sometimes it's a little tiring to talk to her though. A lot of my friends are pretty chatty, actually. It'd be nice to have someone more relaxing to talk to, maybe…like Cloud…_

She mentally stopped herself before her thoughts could wander further. Of course Cloud has been on her mind all week, like a nagging, incessant little poking at the back of her mind. The more time passed, the more anxious she got. Tifa so badly wanted to just call him herself. All it took was the press of a few buttons. And yet…

Tifa mentally slumped, though her pace remained steady. Was she overthinking this? It _was_ just a phone call. They were old friends. Coworkers. There was nothing to be scared of, this was just Cloud. Of all people, why should she be scared of him? _Maybe I really should_ _call him._

Or maybe he's too busy to waste time chatting with her.

She fought the urge to run straight into a wall. "I need a drink," Tifa mumbled to herself. It was only three in the afternoon, but she was already done with her circular thinking. She needed distractions _. Might as well call up the gang, while I'm at it,_ she thought as she fingered her phone.

* * *

"So when's filming going to start?" Biggs asked.

"In about two months, I think." Tifa took another sip of her drink. "Casting's actually going pretty quickly for the other roles, from what I know."

"Man, you're gonna be gone for such a long time!" Biggs said.

Tifa smiled wistfully. "It'll only be for a year or so," she reminded him. She knew that she'd miss coming to Seventh Heaven to see Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. Never had she needed to film away from Sector 5, so this would be her first time being away from Midgar for an extended period of time.

"I'm really gonna miss your beef stew," Wedge said mournfully, eliciting laughter from everyone.

Jessie actually slapped Wedge's shoulder. "She's leaving for a year and the first thing you think about is her _cooking?_ "

"It's true though!" Wedge insisted defensively. "Tifa's the best cook in Midgar. Although, maybe without her cooking I'll finally lose some weight…"

Everyone laughed even harder, but Tifa had to smile at the compliment. "Thanks, Wedge," she said. "But hey, I'll still be here for a while longer, right?"

"It all seems to be happening too quickly," Biggs said, shaking his head. "Man, Genesis really likes to move things along pretty fast."

Tifa nodded. "I think Genesis said that we should be able to start the table read in a couple of weeks," she said.

"Actually, I just heard from Genesis earlier today," Jessie supplied. "The table read should be set for next Thursday."

"Do you know who else is cast?" Wedge asked.

Tifa thought for a while, before bursting into sudden laughter. "I only know this because I was on _The Cait Sith Show_ recently, but apparently Cait Sith's going to be a major character," she said.

"Wait, wait. You're saying that an _animatronic cat_ is going to be in a _Genesis Rhapsodos_ _movie_?" Biggs looked completely incredulous, trying and failing to hide his amusement. "You're joking, right?"

"She's serious," Jessie snorted. "Apparently Reeve Tuesti is involved with the production, and Genesis thought it'd be fun to use Cait. I have no idea how he's going to make that work, but we _are_ talking about Genesis here."

Biggs was now in full-blown laughter, clutching his stomach. "Imagine that! An action-adventure blockbuster with the badass likes of Cloud Strife, and then frickin' _Cait Sith_ trotting alongside him!"

The four of them were chortling at this point, trying to picture the scene in their heads. Tifa hadn't really given much thought to the idea before, but now that Biggs had painted the picture, she thought she had never heard anything more absurd. Jessie did have a point though. This film is the brainchild of Genesis Rhapsodos, and if anyone could make such a ridiculous concept work, he could.

Jessie was attempting to speak, although her question was still broken up by little giggles. "Speaking of Cloud Strife…I heard that you finally met up with him?" she managed to say.

Maybe it was because of her earlier encounter with Yuffie, but Tifa felt herself involuntarily flush with self-consciousness at the question. "Um, yeah, Genesis had us meet about a week ago – "

"A _week_ ago? And you never talked about it until Jessie asked?" Wedge cried. "Well c'mon, how was it?"

Tifa remembered how Wedge idolized Cloud, and giggled. "He's definitely a little…different," she said. "He used to be such a shy boy. I think he's grown more confident since then."

"He's an A-lister now," Jessie pointed out. "He probably just outgrew his shyness."

Tifa frowned. "No, it's more than that. He almost seems…cockier. I don't know, something felt off about him."

"Well, you also haven't seen him for years, right?" Biggs said. "You can't expect him to be the same. The city changes people, and you should know that better than anyone. You've probably changed in his eyes, too."

"Mmm…maybe you're right." Tifa had a feeling that there was more to it, but she decided it was better to just brush it off.

"So, you're probably gonna hang out with him from now on, right?" Wedge said. "I mean, costars that happen to be old friends. You guys probably have a lot of catching up to do."

"Ah…well, we did talk about maybe meeting up again sometime, but – "

"You should invite him here!" Wedge cut in excitedly. "A bar's a good place to meet up, right? Can you introduce him to us?"

Tifa laughed at Wedge's eagerness. "Well, I don't want to bother him or anything…"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Oh, _c'mon_ Tifa! You guys are old friends, right?"

"Ah…" _Well, maybe 'friends' is an overstatement._

"So it shouldn't be a big deal for him to make time for you."

"If anything, I bet he wants to spend time with you now that you've reunited," Biggs added.

Tifa desperately hoped that the heat on her face was just the alcohol.

"Wait a second." Jessie leaned in to inspect her face, eyes squinting. "Are you… _shy_ about seeing Cloud Strife?"

Tifa's mind was a scramble at this point. "Well, he _is_ really famous now, so he's probably really busy. It's probably better to just leave him alone – "

"Oh, come _on_!" Jessie said in exasperation. "When I first told you about Genesis's offer you were pretty sure about declining. Then I mention Cloud and suddenly you were totally on board. I _know_ he's the reason you agreed to this project anyway!"

Wedge's eyes widened. "You were gonna turn it down?"

The blaze on Tifa's face was growing at an alarming rate. "Well…initially, yeah…"

Biggs slowly broke into a mischievous grin. "Hang on a sec…Tifa, you don't have a _crush_ on Cloud, do you?"

Thankfully, the gods seemed to take pity on Tifa, as her phone started to ring. Grateful for an excuse to escape the conversation, she excused herself before she darted away to a quieter corner of the bar. Tifa didn't even look at the screen of her phone as she yanked it out and flipped it open. "Hello?" she said, wincing at how high her voice was.

"Tifa?"

She nearly dropped her phone. Of course, of all times. It was the voice she had been aching to hear all week.

"Cloud?"

* * *

Rumia35: Hehe, I'm glad you liked it! I _could_ tell you what Cloud's hiding…but that would be no fun, now would it? And don't worry, like I said there's a method to the madness! ;) Zack and Aerith definitely aren't going away anytime soon, so look forward to them appearing in the future. Thank you for reading!

Musicnutftw: Ah, thank you for pointing that out! Yeah, I need to work on my writing a bit. I don't have betas anymore so it's a bit rough. But thank you again, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

GloriousCreation: Haha, I find it hard to dislike Cid myself. I really do think he's a good guy, he's just reluctant to let it on, a bit like Cloud maybe? Ah yes, the problem kinda ties with the fact that Aerith has her own stuff going on for her, which will come up later. And thank you!

Nyan Cat: :3

Sunflowerspot: I really didn't either, actually, it was just that in order to move the plot along, it had to happen. Maybe I could've put in a little more warning, heh. But I hope you stick around, and thanks for reading!


	7. Playing With Fire

**A/N:** I can't even being to express how grateful I am for your support ^^ I honestly wasn't too sure with how I'd do with writing an AU for the first time. I usually rely on the safety net that preexisting canon provides, so I'm always scared about whether or not I'm making reasonable decisions in terms of story direction. I'm glad you're enjoying it though!

It's taking a lot longer than I thought to get to the Leo and Kate part of this fic…still mostly OG Cloti stuff right now. Fun fact, if you've noticed, I released the first chapter of this fic only several days after the Oscars this year. It was all that Leo x Kate hype around that time (and the excitement of Leo finally winning his Oscar!) combined with my preexisting love for Cloti that really gave birth to this fic. I just randomly thought that Leo x Kate and Cloud x Tifa were too similar in some regards and _why can't they just get together already?_ I do already have Leo and Kate inspired scenes planned out, so look forward to them in the future!

Also, as you see Midgar does have have an upper plate, separating upper and lower areas of the city. For the purposes of this story not being involved with eco-destruction though, the lower area is not _all_ slums. Only certain sectors under the plate will be slums, so Seventh Heaven and Tifa's apartment are in what I'd consider relatively normal, middle class areas. For this reason, I'll be calling this area the lower plate instead of the slums (even though it's technically not a plate but shhh I'm not very creative). The upper plate is intended to encompass upper middle class/upper class. Whenever the characters refer to just above or below the plate though, they'll be referring to the upper plate. Uhhh I hope that's not too confusing haha.

With all of that said and done, I'll have replies to reviews at the end of this chapter again. Thank you all again! ^^

* * *

 **Chapter 7 ~ Playing With Fire**

* * *

"Cloud?"

He silently laughed to himself. For some reason, Tifa almost sounded mortified. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" he asked teasingly.

"N-no! I mean, everything's fine. Um, so what's up?"

Right, straight to business. Cloud silently thanked the universe for giving him an excuse to call Tifa. "So according to my manager, it's my job to tell you that we were invited to sit with the screenwriters in a meeting next week."

"This late?" He could imagine her scrunching her eyebrows in the way that she did when she was perplexed. "Wouldn't they have mostly finalized the screenplay at this point?"

"Apparently they're talking about possibly making major revisions. I do have some ideas I might want to bring up, so I think I'm gonna go."

"Huh. When is it? Sounds weird, but I'm down."

Realizing that this meant that he'd get an extra opportunity to see Tifa, Cloud felt a ridiculous joy bubble up in his chest. "Just text me your manager's info and I'll have my manager forward the email to you," he promised. He patted himself on the back for managing to sound casual. Maybe he should keep going. He recalled something else Tseng told him earlier that day. "By the way, word on the street is that a certain rabid director just finished casting."

Tifa's laughter was music to his ears. "Rabid? Why rabid?"

"Because he signed literally over half of them just this morning, apparently!" Cloud said. "It's unreal how fast this guy works."

His tone of mock incredulity earned him another round of giggles. "Well, Genesis did say that he already had people in mind for the other roles by the time he signed me," Tifa said.

"Go figure, that man is a mastermind," Cloud sighed. "But I guess that means that the first table read will be sooner than we thought it would be."

"Yeah, this is all going pretty fast, isn't it? I can't wait to meet the cast though!"

Cloud had to smile at how genuinely excited she sounded. "Excited to reunite with Cait Sith?" he asked teasingly.

"Cloud!" Tifa laughed again, and Cloud let a small chuckle escape him. "I really am looking forward to seeing Reeve again, though. He's such a nice man."

"He'll probably show up to the screenwriting meeting. He's one of the producers, after all."

"Mmm, I guess so…hey, Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

A silence followed, and Cloud felt a strange anxiety begin to twist his gut. _She didn't remember, did she? Oh gods, if she did…_

"Why haven't you called me before now?" Tifa asked quickly.

He certainly wasn't expecting that. Cloud blinked, before he realized that he had to produce an answer. He floundered around for an acceptable explanation. What came out, however, sounded less than convincing. "Oh…you know, I'm just really busy all the time…"

"I see." Her tone seemed flat. Ifrit, he must've sounded like a jerk. "Okay, well, I guess I'll see you later…"

"Wait." It was said out of pure impulse. Cloud realized that he was on route to an awkward silence, unless he came up with something.

"Yeah?"

He had nothing but his gut to go off of. Cloud inwardly winced as he decided to follow it, not even bothering to think it through. He didn't even know what was coming out of his mouth until it was already out.

"Maybe, we could…I mean…are you free right now? Where are you?" Smooth, Strife. He prayed that he didn't sound stupid.

"Cloud, what's this about? Is it about my manager's contact info? Didn't you say I could just text you?"

"No, I'm not talking about work." Ifrit, what was he _doing?_

"You mean…you just want to hang out? Just you and me?"

He liked the sound of that. "Just you and me," he affirmed.

"O-oh…okay! Yeah, I'm free right now. I'm at Seventh Heaven."

Cloud's eyes widened as he stopped dead in his tracks. He was standing less than a block away from the bar as they spoke. Despite himself, Cloud had found himself involuntarily gravitating towards the bar whenever he was below the plate for the past week. At first he'd never go inside, but would just lean against a nearby inn and watch the doors with a ridiculous little hope of catching a flash of the garnet eyes that haunted him from his childhood. His patience wore thin by day three though, and Cloud then progressed to slipping inside the bar to survey the crowd. He'd get a small drink every time of course, to mask the fact that he only entered to look for someone. He had never succeeded in "bumping into" her.

But she was there this time. He thought that with his dumb luck, she'd just happen to not be there. _Funny how my timing doesn't work until I intentionally plan to meet up with her,_ Cloud thought sardonically. "Hm, you go there often?" he asked as he resumed walking.

"Recently I've been going almost every day," she admitted.

 _Damn it all._ The gods must be toying with him, he decided, if he just happened to conveniently miss her _every damn time_ until now. He just hoped that the bartender wouldn't let on to Tifa that he had started to become something of a regular himself. With that thought in mind, he approached the bar and pushed the door open.

"I happen to be close by at the moment," Cloud said quietly, looking around. So far, none of the patrons caught his eye as the one he was looking for. "I could meet you there."

"You're under the plate?"

He snorted at the shock in her voice. "I'm down here all the time." His eyes skimmed over a dark haired woman sitting alone at a table. No, she was too tall to be Tifa.

"Really? What for?"

"I can be normal too, can't I?" His stomach did a funny flip as he spotted a brunette facing the wall in a more vacant area by the restroom, holding a phone to her ear. One of her legs was bent back so that she was gently tapping the tip of her foot on the ground. Cloud recognized that quirk from when she was just a little girl.

"Well, yeah, but I'm not really that rich or famous yet," Tifa said. "And you're – "

"A normal human being like everyone else. C'mon Tifa, you of all people should know that," Cloud teased. He slowly approached the woman, and heard her voice match the one on his phone.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Tifa laughed. "But anyways, can we maybe meet somewhere else besides Seventh Heaven?"

Cloud smirked, and made sure to make his voice a little louder. "Why? I'm already here."

Tifa jumped and whirled around. Her garnet eyes were wide with shock, slightly hostile until recognition quickly filled them. That's right; Cloud almost forgot that he was wearing a cap to conceal his usually prominent blond hair. "Where did you come from?!" Tifa squeaked.

"I told you I was nearby," Cloud said casually as he closed his phone. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"A-ah…I've just been here for such a long time already, and I think I'm done with alcohol for the day," Tifa said with a nervous laugh. "If you don't mind, could we go somewhere el – "

"Tifa!" The voice made her jump. Cloud looked in the direction that it came from and focused on two men and one woman sitting in a booth. "We closed the tab. You can take your card back," the woman said.

"O-oh. Um, excuse me a moment," Tifa murmured, slipping away to her friends. Cloud frowned, before following carefully on her heels.

"Hey Tifa, who's your friend over there?" the taller of the men asked as they approached the booth.

"Oh, uh...he's just a coworker," Tifa said dismissively as she scooped up her credit card.

Cloud crossed his arms. "C'mon Tifa, is that all I am to you?" he said in mock offense. Tifa jumped as she became aware of Cloud standing behind her, making him smirk.

"Wait a minute." The woman leaned over and peered at him, trying to look underneath his visor. "Are you…?"

Cloud nodded and tugged at his cap so that it would reveal more of his eyes. Tifa's friends all widened their eyes. "Can you keep quiet though? I usually prefer keeping a low profile," he said. Normally, he'd disguise his voice to conceal his identity. Even the bartender didn't know his name yet. Yet Cloud realized that he wasn't too bothered by the thought of revealing himself to anyone Tifa considered a friend.

"Whoa, Cloud Strife?" the shorter man said in awe. "I never would've expected to see you in Sector 7, much less under the plate!"

"Oh, come _on_. It's not like I'm allergic to the lower plate!" Cloud said in exasperation, successfully earning him a giggle from Tifa.

"So what _are_ you doing here?" the taller man asked. His suspicious tone caused Cloud to raise an eyebrow. "I imagine that Seventh Heaven isn't one of your everyday stops."

"Am I not allowed to see one of my old friends?" Cloud playfully nudged the seemingly petrified woman standing beside him, who jumped from his actions. He inwardly frowned, wondering why Tifa seemed so nervous. He didn't miss the glances being exchanged between Tifa's friends either.

"You wouldn't mind sitting with us for a bit, would you?" The shorter man wore an enthusiastic expression, one that Cloud had become familiar with in the recent years as starstruck admiration. Still concerned about Tifa though, Cloud glanced at her for a cue.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer," she mumbled.

The woman introduced herself as Jessie, and the men introduced themselves as Biggs and Wedge. Thankfully, Tifa deflected them from drilling Cloud with questions. She preferred herding them to make more casual, ordinary conversation with him, which was much appreciated. Eventually though, Tifa and her friends were caught up in telling him stories of the times they've spent together in Seventh Heaven. Cloud crossed his arms and sat back in silence, nodding or smirking where the appropriate reactions were needed.

Leviathan, what was he doing? He mentally kicked himself as he realized how bad a job he was doing with his façade, if he could really call it that. Cloud could pull of the slightly arrogant part, but he was doing a way too good job of making her smile. He just couldn't quite bring himself to be as cold and distant as he envisioned. Heck, his own impulse brought him to where he was, sitting beside Tifa. He hated how addictive she was, how his eyes kept wandering back to her. He so badly wanted to spend so much more time with her. Yet the steely grip of fear was stuck in his chest as he remembered his private vow. He couldn't stand the thought of Tifa's hatred, if she were ever to remember.

His eyes flickered up at the sound of Tifa's laughter. Her eyes were closed in mirth as she laughed, revealing her teeth as she smiled. Her cheeks were flushed a slight pink from breathlessness. She seemed to be glowing, and Cloud suddenly became conscious of his own breathing as he watched her.

He hated this. He hated that he didn't know what was going on in Tifa's head, but he was too afraid to risk it. Yes, Cloud had to admit to himself that he was being selfish with the bond he was forming with her in the present. It was just plain dangerous. At the same time, he didn't know if it would be better or worse to bring up the incident.

The only thing Cloud hated more than the ambiguity was the strange fluttery feeling he got in his stomach whenever he was around her. For Shiva's sake, she was a _childhood_ crush, and here he was as if he had never grown up. Tifa's presence alone was enough to make him feel like he was back to the painfully shy little boy he used to be. He wondered bemusedly if anything actually had changed since then, because at the moment, it certainly felt like nothing had.

"Cloud?" The call of his name pulled him back into reality, and he became aware of Tifa looking at him inquisitively. He pulled out a small smile to acknowledge her, and received a demure grin in response. Ifrit, how he wanted to stop lying to her with his weak charade. She was making it harder and harder by the second.

* * *

"You live down _here_?" Cloud couldn't hide the incredulity in his voice, and mentally winced as he realized how offensive that sounded. They had left the bar, but when he offered to walk Tifa home, she only brushed him off, insisting that the walk wasn't too long.

Thankfully, Tifa just laughed, as though she was amused. "Hey, I thought you were the one insisting that being under the plate was _completely normal_ ," she teased.

"Yeah, but…" Cloud looked at her quizzically. "Someone like you should be living above the plate."

"Cloud, I'm not rich," Tifa said softly. "Heck, I'm still in college."

Really? That was news to him. "But what about this upcoming year?" he asked.

"I'm taking a gap year," she said. "I was going to do it before I got cast for the film, anyway."

"So you're still going for a degree?"

"Mmm." Tifa looked somewhat self-conscious as she started to tap her foot on the ground. "I'm majoring in business management. I want to run my own bar one day. I actually used to work here as a bartender for some time to help pay for tuition…oh, I'm sorry, I'm rambling." She laughed nervously.

Cloud smirked. "That's pretty fitting, that you used to be a bartender," he said, thinking of her role in the film. "But I think you'd make a great bar owner too. You were always really smart. And it's pretty impressive how you're still going to college, even though you're an actress."

Tifa smiled. "Thanks, Cloud. Well...I'm headed this way. The train station is in the other direction, right?"

"Yeah..." He was reluctant to turn around, but they were still standing outside Seventh Heaven. There was no reason for him to stay.

"Guess I'll…see you around…" Her voice was trailing as much as his own, Cloud realized. Another sudden strike of impulse had him reaching out and grabbing her arm before she could turn around completely. He mentally cursed himself. Impulse really seemed to be messing with him lately. Tifa looked at him expectantly as he tried to gather his scrambled thoughts into something cohesive.

"It's still early," he said slowly. "And…we haven't eaten yet. Would you maybe…like to have dinner somewhere?"

A wide smile spread on Tifa's face. "That sounds great! I was just gonna cook something for myself, but I haven't eaten out in a while, so that'll be nice. Do you have any place in mind? I know this great Wutaian place nearby…"

Cloud couldn't help smiling as Tifa continued to ramble. Maybe he was cheating himself by letting himself spend more time with her. He knew that the consequences would become greater in the long run, that he'd only hurt her and himself in the end. It was playing with fire.

But he couldn't deny that he was enjoying every second of it.

* * *

aleph-vody: Thank you so much! Well this update is pretty quick for me, I guess I was spurred by the support I got, so thank you for reviewing! :)

GloriousCreation: Thank you! I'm technically supposed to be studying right now but ahem. Anyways, yes, I'm excited to write more about Yuffie in the future, she's fun to write haha. And yeah, I like to think that Tifa, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie are kind of like the gang in How I Met Your Mother, with how they always hang out at the bar!

Rumia35: Ah I hope that Cloud's reason wasn't too stupid haha. There _will_ be some Aerith later, I promise! I'm trying to pace this story out in a reasonable way, and unfortunately I couldn't introduce her right away. I'm itching to get to that part myself, to be honest haha

Senhorita Caroline: I just love a good cliffhanger, don't you? ;) Nah, writers are just sadists like that, really haha. Thank you so much though, I'm glad you like the story so far!

sunflowerspot: Hehe that's one of my favorite things about this pairing, they're both so shy and it's excruciating but you know that the payoff will be worth it ;) Haha honestly it's getting quite hard for Cloud to stick to the mask. Think of this period as Crisis Core infantry Cloud; he kinda wants to hide but it's still pretty hard for him to do so. And thank you so much, I really appreciate how you've been here from the very beginning! I hope this quicker update makes up for how slow I was with the last one hehe

Stormblade343: Thank you so so much! Hope you like how quick this update was :)


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